Why You Need to Test, Test and Test to Get The Most From Your Email List
- ARTICLES |
Email mailing lists can be an immensely valuable business tool. However if you don't use them the appropriately, your subscribers can quickly start ignoring to your emails, deleting them immediately when they see them in their inboxes or, worse, unsubscribing forever.
In order to keep your subscribers interested then you need to frequently test the way you do things. Here are a few of the most important features you'll want to test.
1) When To Send Your Emails
Yes, it makes a tremendous difference to your results depending on the time of day you select to contact your email mailing lists.
Many experienced marketers say "never email on weekends", "Tuesdays see the best results" or "people don't respond on Mondays". While it's useful to listen to their experiences, every single list is unique.
For instance, if your list is a hobby niche targeted towards working parents then you may find they open their emails more in the evenings and weekends. If you're targeting work-at-home internet marketers, however, then weekday daytime emails will work best.
2) How Often To Email
This issue is controversial. There's huge debate when it comes to how often you should email your lists. However, one thing is for certain, make sure you do email them! Many marketers are worried of overwhelming and annoying their email subscribers that they fail to email them at all!
Again, this is another thing you'll want to test. Email them at least once a week to keep your name on your subscribers' radars - other than that it's up to you how often you email. But don't get all worked up about unsubscribes. It's not the end of the world if someone unsubscribes: it's unlikely they would have stayed a subscriber for much longer anyway.
3) What To Email
Another issue many marketers are afraid of is scaring away their customers with too many offers. It's true that you need to be careful about what you are promoting, but what constitutes "too many promotions" varies for all email mailing lists.
But if your customers opted into a "special offers" newsletter, they want to be notified about your special offers - so they are going to expect promotions!
The best way to know what they want and respond to - and remember, that's what's important here - is to mix purely informational emails with your promotions. You may find your customers ignore your informational emails, or you may find they ignore the promotions unless you mix them in with something free. You'll never know until you test!
How To Test
Most email marketing services have numerous components that allow you to test what works best. You must keep track of how many email opens you get, how many people click your links and, if appropriate, how many people buy. When you've tested one way of doing things, test the opposite and record your results until you know what works best for your subscribers.
Other testing tactics include sending surveys to your subscribers or just listening to their comments and suggestions - but remember that many of them, no matter how much they love your email newsletter, won't bother to respond at all.
All email mailing lists are different or distinct, which is why testing - as well as learning from successful marketers - is extremely critical to the success and growth of your business.
Dania
www.momsebizblog.blogspot.com
www.homebusinesstalk.biz
www.miamimommyblogger.wordpress.com
In order to keep your subscribers interested then you need to frequently test the way you do things. Here are a few of the most important features you'll want to test.
1) When To Send Your Emails
Yes, it makes a tremendous difference to your results depending on the time of day you select to contact your email mailing lists.
Many experienced marketers say "never email on weekends", "Tuesdays see the best results" or "people don't respond on Mondays". While it's useful to listen to their experiences, every single list is unique.
For instance, if your list is a hobby niche targeted towards working parents then you may find they open their emails more in the evenings and weekends. If you're targeting work-at-home internet marketers, however, then weekday daytime emails will work best.
2) How Often To Email
This issue is controversial. There's huge debate when it comes to how often you should email your lists. However, one thing is for certain, make sure you do email them! Many marketers are worried of overwhelming and annoying their email subscribers that they fail to email them at all!
Again, this is another thing you'll want to test. Email them at least once a week to keep your name on your subscribers' radars - other than that it's up to you how often you email. But don't get all worked up about unsubscribes. It's not the end of the world if someone unsubscribes: it's unlikely they would have stayed a subscriber for much longer anyway.
3) What To Email
Another issue many marketers are afraid of is scaring away their customers with too many offers. It's true that you need to be careful about what you are promoting, but what constitutes "too many promotions" varies for all email mailing lists.
But if your customers opted into a "special offers" newsletter, they want to be notified about your special offers - so they are going to expect promotions!
The best way to know what they want and respond to - and remember, that's what's important here - is to mix purely informational emails with your promotions. You may find your customers ignore your informational emails, or you may find they ignore the promotions unless you mix them in with something free. You'll never know until you test!
How To Test
Most email marketing services have numerous components that allow you to test what works best. You must keep track of how many email opens you get, how many people click your links and, if appropriate, how many people buy. When you've tested one way of doing things, test the opposite and record your results until you know what works best for your subscribers.
Other testing tactics include sending surveys to your subscribers or just listening to their comments and suggestions - but remember that many of them, no matter how much they love your email newsletter, won't bother to respond at all.
All email mailing lists are different or distinct, which is why testing - as well as learning from successful marketers - is extremely critical to the success and growth of your business.
Dania
www.momsebizblog.blogspot.com
www.homebusinesstalk.biz
www.miamimommyblogger.wordpress.com